The 10 Best Smart TV Keyboards

This wiki has been updated 17 times since it was first published in April of 2016. So you've bought yourself a fancy new Smart TV that can do do all kinds of things in addition to just watching shows, like browsing the Web and streaming all sorts of media. But, of course, you are now discovering that your TV's included remote makes it exceedingly difficult to take advantage of all these cool features. That's where any one of these specialist keyboards will come in handy.
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This wiki has been updated 17 times since it was first published in April of 2016. So you've bought yourself a fancy new Smart TV that can do do all kinds of things in addition to just watching shows, like browsing the Web and streaming all sorts of media. But, of course, you are now discovering that your TV's included remote makes it exceedingly difficult to take advantage of all these cool features. That's where any one of these specialist keyboards will come in handy.
When users buy our independently chosen editorial
picks,
we may earn commissions to
help fund the Wiki.
Skip to the best smart tv keyboard on Amazon.

10. BestRunner Meco

REVIEW

DETAILS

SPECS

If you spend more time using the touchpad and directional controls than the keyboard, the BestRunner Meco makes a good choice. In an opposite fashion to most other models, the mouse pad and media controls are on the bottom.

Comes with a usb charging cable

Detailed instruction manual

Some find the mouse too sensitive

Brand

BestRunner

Model

pending

Ship Weight

6.4 ounces

Rating

4.0 / 5.0

UNDER REVIEW

This item has been flagged for editorial review and is not available.

9. Jelly Comb Mini

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The Jelly Comb Mini has a unique layout that some may love, but others may hate. The touchpad is located right in the center of the unit, with the keyboard split on either side of it. A simple plug & play setup makes it suitable for the most tech-challenged of individuals.

8. Viboton i8 Plus

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The Viboton i8 Plus has a nice selection of shortcut keys, so you can quickly launch the web browser, mute the volume, search, launch your e-mail application, and more. It is a convenient option with well-spaced keys to minimize typos.

7. Ambolove 2018

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The Ambolove 2018 has an ergonomic design that fits comfortably in the hand and an adjustable DPI resolution that allows you to set the sensitivity to your preference. Its left and right mouse click buttons are located on top, right where your index fingers naturally sit.

6. Aerb IV28

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Coming in five colors and with the ability to adjust the intensity and shade of the backlighting, you can truly customize the Aerb IV28 to match your personal taste. It has a 30-foot wireless transmission range, making it suitable for large living rooms.

5. ANewKodi T8

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The ANewKodi T8 has a rounded design that looks like something found on an alien spacecraft. This appearance is further highlighted by the outwardly sloping keys and eerie blue backlighting. On a more terrestrial note, it comes with a 12-month warranty.

4. QQ-Tech Seenda BK18

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Compatible with most operating systems, the QQ-Tech Seenda BK18 offers effortless control in a slim, lightweight package that can fit easily in your pocket. Its build is strong and sturdy and the keys provide nice tactile feedback.

3. iPazzPort KP-810

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The iPazzPort KP-810 is available in a basic black model or with tri-color backlighting for essentially the same price, so if you like a little pizzazz, choose the lit option. Its USB dongle stores inside the battery compartment when not in use to prevent loss.

2. FeBite MX3 Pro

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Slim, sturdy, and reliable, the FeBite MX3 Pro is compatible with almost any device in your home with a USB port, thanks to its included receiver dongle. Its gyroscopic sensor disables the keypad when it's held with the standard remote side up to avoid accidental inputs.

1. Rii i8+

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The Rii i8+ features 92 backlit keys and a classic QWERTY layout for quick typing, plus a touchpad for tactile onscreen control. It is available in a Bluetooth or USB model and has a video-game-like feel that millennials will appreciate.

Why We Need Smart TV Keyboards

If you have a long, complicated, mixed-case password with numbers and special characters protecting your Wi-Fi network, you can pretty much kiss the rest of your day goodbye.

Instead of getting straight to the good stuff, you're thrown into a gauntlet, setting up your apps and preferences with the dinky remote in the box.

Unfortunately, while most smart TVs are capable of doing much more than just displaying the channels for which you pay your cable provider, they tend to suffer from hardware and software shortcomings that make navigation a headache. They're loaded with apps and features and built-in web browsers, but actually using them often becomes a frustrating experience because of the basic remote controls with which they ship. In addition, their interfaces are, on the whole, fairly primitive, and make typing significantly more of a chore than it should be.

On most smart televisions, the typing process is what hurts the most. Navigating the onscreen alphabet with four arrow keys on your standard remote and selecting each letter individually is an experience to which almost everyone can relate, as hard as we might try to forget it. This is all the more upsetting when you've just unpacked your shiny new television and are actually excited to use it. Instead of getting straight to the good stuff, you're thrown into a gauntlet, setting up your apps and preferences with the dinky remote in the box. If you have a long, complicated, mixed-case password with numbers and special characters protecting your Wi-Fi network, you can pretty much kiss the rest of your day goodbye.

Things don't get better once your TV is connected to your network. Searching for new apps to download and programs to watch isn't going to be any easier than the setup process. Unless you sprung for an upgraded remote before you got home, the whole thing is going to make you nostalgic for the days when there was only one thing on TV.

Thankfully, smart TV keyboards exist to mitigate some of these issues. Sure, it would be preferable if the expensive televisions we paid for didn't require the purchase of additional hardware to keep you from banging your head against the wall every time you try to search for Everybody Loves Raymond in the Netflix app, but that's just not the case.

In addition to a full keyboard in your layout of choice, many of the keyboards on our list offer intuitive controls that, for whatever reason, the big-name companies manufacturing televisions simply cannot duplicate. Many are backlit as well, so you can use them in the dark without accidentally hitting the home button and having to start your search process over again. If you haven't guessed by now, I am a victim of a dumb remote, and I am not over it. Save yourself the trouble and order a keyboard remote for your smart TV so you never have this experience. I promise you will thank me.

How Remotes Got Out Of Control

These days, it seems every household has an excess of remote controls. I once had the displeasure of helping a friend move out of a so-called "smart house" and rounded up 14 different remotes among the various light fixtures, appliances, and other devices that littered the property.

While they were originally designed to make people's lives easier, the proliferation of remotes found in many homes more often serves to confuse. I can recall more than one instance of sitting on a friend's couch and being unsure which of at least three remotes was the right one to use just to turn the on television.

Smart TV keyboards may add some fuel to the fire, but at least they'll cut down on the frustration you experience when trying to navigate your apps and menus.

The truth is, it wasn't always this way. The first televisions required users to tune dials by hand. While some manufacturers found ways for consumers to control things without getting up from their seats throughout the 1950s, 60s, and 70s, by 1979 only 17 percent of American homes contained a remote control. By contrast, over 80 percent of them had color television sets.

The devices gained significant popularity in the 1980s with the rise of cable television. For one thing, the number of buttons required to easily navigate all of those channels became too numerous to include on an actual television set, so the remote became a near-necessity. As a result, cable providers often included a remote control with the set-top box that was required to get their services onto your television.

It wasn't long before TV manufacturers caught on to the trend. Soon, remotes came standard with nearly all TVs. But these remotes couldn't the control cable boxes, and many cable remotes couldn't turn on the TV set. Meanwhile, VCR manufacturers began including remotes with their products. In the span of just a few years, many households went from having no remotes at all to having at least three.

Remote controlled stereos, DVD players, and other devices added to the problem. The remotes themselves were never very intelligently designed, and having a plethora of them on your coffee table only made matters worse. Today, universal solutions exist, but many people still suffer from remote clutter. Smart TV keyboards may add some fuel to the fire, but at least they'll cut down on the frustration you experience when trying to navigate your apps and menus.

How Smart TV Keyboards Work

While early remotes were physically connected to the TV sets they controlled, it wasn't long before wireless technology became the norm. Ultrasonic technology was popular among the first successful wave, spearheaded by the TV manufacturer Zenith.

Most keyboard remotes use wireless USB receivers that plug into the back of a television.

Each button produced a unique clicking sound when pressed, which the TV set could recognize and respond to accordingly. This was followed by the use of infrared technology in the 1970s. While they are limited by the fact that they require a direct line of sight to a television's receiver, infrared remotes continue to dominate today.

Many Smart TVs have built-in infrared receivers that work with their provided remotes, but more advanced connectivity options are available. Most keyboard remotes use wireless USB receivers that plug into the back of a television. These connect to the devices over a 2.4 GHz wireless signal that allow for a relatively long range, and work without a direct line of sight. Some keyboards use Bluetooth technology in a similar fashion, though they may only be compatible with Bluetooth-enabled televisions.

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A wandering writer who spends as much time on the road as in front of a laptop screen, Brett can either be found hacking away furiously at the keyboard or, perhaps, enjoying a whiskey and coke on some exotic beach, sometimes both simultaneously, usually with a four-legged companion by his side. He has been a professional chef, a dog trainer, and a travel correspondent for a well-known Southeast Asian guidebook. He also holds a business degree and has spent more time than he cares to admit in boring office jobs. He has an odd obsession for playing with the latest gadgets and working on motorcycles and old Jeeps. His expertise, honed over years of experience, is in the areas of computers, electronics, travel gear, pet products, and kitchen, office and automotive equipment.

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